Ex-Everton youngster explains why recent Blackpool goal received same celebration treatment as Merseyside Derby moment against Liverpool

Sonny Carey was on the scoresheet in Saturday’s 1-0 win over Cambridge United, as the Seasiders ended a three-game winless run. A poor Easter period leaves them chasing the final spot in the play-offs, with Oxford United currently holding a six point advantage over Neil Critchley’s side, who are also four behind seventh place Lincoln City.

Pennington started his career with Everton, with his most memorable moment for the Toffees being a goal in a Merseyside Derby against Liverpool. The defender’s most recent career goal came away in last month’s 1-0 win away to Northampton Town, as his celebrations matched the ones at Anfield back in 2017, as he ran into the away end to enjoy the moment with the travelling away fans.

"That was a good day, there were three points, a goal for myself and a clean sheet, which doesn’t all come around too often,” he said.

"At the time that was an important win for us away from home, so it was a really important win and it was nice to celebrate with the fans at the time. Scoring goals is like keeping clean sheets, it’s not just the goalkeeper or defenders who take credit because it’s a team game, everyone has to chip in. We can’t just rely on the strikers, everyone has to take responsibility for it. The more people that can create a threat is a bonus for us, it’s all about the collective.

"We’ve not scored a lot recently, but that’s on all of us, not just the forward players. We’ve got four games to go this season to get maximum points and put pressure on those above us at the moment, as long as there’s still a chance we’ll keep fighting for it. We can control what we can control, and hopefully we’ll put ourselves right in the mix.

"When results don’t go our way there’s always a disappointment, but in this league games come thick and fast so you need to dust yourself down because you can’t take any lingering feelings into the next match because you’ll get punished again. The win on Saturday was a big three points and we need to get them under our belts in the next few games. We got the job done, we’re honest with ourselves as a group, and the second half wasn’t the level we want to be at.

"As footballers you’re conditioned to just think about the next one because that’s the most important day in your calendar, then that switches to the one after.”